Vol. 1, Issue 1, Part F (2014)

Introduction and Background: The research and development of healthcare are greatly influenced by prostate cancer, as it is the second most common cancer in males and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The evaluation of prostate cancer has primarily depended on digital rectal examinations and PSA levels due to the inconvenient placement of the prostate.

Material and Methods: We evaluated a cohort of 30 individuals who had elevated PSA levels and abnormal DRE results and were sent to our clinic. Data was collected by researchers at the Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Tagore Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India during the period spanning from October 2013 to September 2014. Following a comprehensive explanation of the potential repercussions of the biopsy, all patients were required to grant informed permission. Preoperative antibiotics were administered as a preventive precaution.

Results: In this prospective study, a cohort of 30 patients exhibiting abnormal digital rectal examination findings and elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were subjected to a series of diagnostic procedures. These procedures included transrectal real-time strain elastography, transrectal ultrasonography, a systematic 12-core biopsy, and targeted biopsies performed on abnormal areas identified through transrectal real-time strain elastography and transrectal ultrasound. The histological diagnosis was compared with the interpretations derived from each of these procedures.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that elastography has more sensitivity in detecting cancers when compared to ultrasonography. Additionally, elastography demonstrates a robust negative predictive capability, hence contributing to the prevention of unnecessary biopsies. The combined utilization of elastography and ultrasonography enhances the quality of cancer detection through the precise identification of malignant tumors and the facilitation of guided biopsies.